Stumbling into Fate
by Mattiewilda
Summary: Cory and Angela are getting married! But how did they get here? And what happened to Shawn, Topanga, Eric, Jack, and Rachel?  Sorry the summary sucks.
1. Prologue Part 1

This story is taking a totally AU look at Boy Meets World at a critical moment in the relationships of Cory/Topanga and Shawn/Angela and what happened after that. The first few parts will be the at wedding, but then we will jump back in time, to where Cory and Angela's journey began. (No copyright infringement intended. Suing me will get you nothing because I have next to nothing.) During the series I enjoyed Shawn and Angela, but always wished there were more scenes between Cory and Angela.

**Prologue Part 1**

"Ceremony starts soon, Angela," Rachel said, coming into the room.

"Thanks, Rachel," Angela replied, continuing to gaze into the mirror. "Is my dad ready?"

"Yeah, he and Cory's dad are just outside taking and laughing." She put a supportive hand on her friend's arm. "You're not getting cold feet, are you?"

Angela shook her head and smiled. "No, never. It's just...," she struggled to find the right words. "I'm getting married today."

"That just dawned on you?"

"Kind of."

"What did you think all of this planning was for, then?"

"I don't know. It wasn't real before. It's real now. Not to mention it's Cory."

"What's wrong with Cory," Rachel asked, confused.

"Nothing, absolutely nothing," Angela insisted. "But if you would've told me when I met him that I would end up marrying him, I would've laughed in your face and asked if you were drunk." They both laughed. "But Cory, he's...he's Cory and that's perfect for me. It's what I want. I love him more than I could possibly explain."

"Oh, don't get me started," she exclaimed, grabbing a tissue and dabbing at her eyes. "I have to make sure my make-up lasts at least through the ceremony. Thanks for doing pictures earlier, by the way."

"No problem."

Rachel stared at her friend, looking for a sign of nerves or apprehension and finding none. But Angela didn't seem overly excited and giddy like Rachel expected either. She was oddly calm, too calm for Rachel. Heck, she had spent their entire conversation staring at her reflection. Up until today, whenever the wedding was brought up there was giggling and shrieking, jumping up and down, and lots of excitement. Today, she had shown none of that. Granted, during the photos Angela was totally happy and in the moment with Cory, but when Cory hasn't been around she's been off in her own little world.

"Are you sure nothing is bothering you? You can tell me."

Angela turned to face her. "Rachel, I swear to you I'm fine. I'm so in love with Cory and beyond happy to be marrying him. Why are you questioning that?"

Rachel decided to tread lightly. "I'm not, but until yesterday whenever we mentioned the wedding we'd giggle and jump up and down like little girls. And I remember how I was when I married Jack. Even though I knew it was right, I was still so nervous I could hardly talk. Even Topanga at her wedding, even though we weren't as close as we once were there was a lot of excitement in the air...," Rachel noticed Angela's body language change at the mention of Topanga's name. "It's Topanga, isn't it? How can you still see her as a threat? She's married with two small children."

"It's not Topanga, not really," she explained, walking across the room. "Cory spent so many years imagining this day with her as the bride. Sometimes I wonder how you can be that committed to one idea and suit it to another person."

"His relationship with Topanga was completely different that the one he has with you. And I don't know if you've looked into that man's eyes during the last eight years, but he hasn't been thinking about any one else but you."

Angela grinned, her eyes tearing up slightly. "I know, you're right. I mean, how many guys would be willing to wait 8 years to marry me?"

"Not many."

"God, I can't believe I let this bother me." She grabbed her flowers and walked over to the mirror to check her make-up. "How stupid was I?"

"It's okay. I think everyone is entitled to one or two little moments of doubt. If it makes you feel any better, I'm sure Cory had the same worries about you and Shawn." Rachel mentally kicked herself. They had gone the whole wedding weekend without mentioning Shawn, why did she have to slip moments before Angela was to walk down the aisle? She was almost afraid to look at her, afraid of her reaction. But Angela surprised her.

"No, I don't think so," she said matter-of-factly. "As much as I really wanted to see it when we were in college, I was never going to marry Shawn. Even if I didn't end up with Cory, my relationship with Shawn was doomed." She looked Rachel right in the eye. "No matter how much we wanted it, it was never going to work."

_Meanwhile, in Cory's room..._

"Why did Angela insist on separate preparation rooms for you guys? You've been living together for years, you spent last night together, and hell, you've already seen her dress because the pictures are taken. Why the separation before the ceremony itself?"

"I don't know, Jack. She said she just wanted a few minutes of peace before the craziness started." He shrugged. "I figured it was best to just give in."

"That's probably smart."

"Hey Cory, we hit the road any minute," Eric said as he entered the room, tossing the bottle of alcohol to his brother.

Cory barely caught the bottle. "Careful, Eric! The tux may be mine, but Angela will kill me if I ruin it. And there will be no hitting the road until it's time for the honeymoon," he grinned.

"Where are you going? You won't tell me."

"Nope. Do you know I actually have nightmares of Mr. Feeny showing up and giving me wedding night advice? Of you finding out where we are and following us, making sure we have a perfect time and that the weather is perfect?"

"Well, I am Philadelphia's most popular weather man, little brother. It comes with the job description."

"Don't worry, Cor, I'll make sure Shaina keeps him busy here."

"Thanks, Jack."

"You guys do realize I'm standing right here, don't you?"

"Okay, okay," Jack said, knowing if Eric and Cory started bickering they'd never stop. "Let's focus. Our friend Cory here is mere moments away from getting married. I do believe we had a little toast in mind."

"You guys think it's smart to drink before my vows," Cory questioned as Eric cracked the seal.

"Come on, it's tradition. We did it before Jack and Rachel's, before mine and Shaina's, and now yours' and Angela's. What's a wedding without a toast amongst you, me, Jack...," Eric trailed off.

"Is he coming?"

"I don't know," Jack admitted. "When we talk and see each other, you and Angela never come up. I let him know you're doing okay, but he doesn't ask any more questions."

Cory was quiet for a moment. He hadn't expected Shawn to react well to the news of he and Angela together or that they were getting married, and he hadn't disappointed. "Well, he's had eight years to get used to the idea of me and Angela together. I've tried reaching out to him, I called and offered support when he's had his problems and I've been completely shut out. If he can't accept it at this point I have nothing else to say to him."

Eric and Jack looked at each other, surprised by how harsh Cory sounded. They knew he was missing his best friend. Eric poured the shot and handed it to Cory.

"I shouldn't have said anything."

"No, it's okay, it's not your fault." He ran his hand over his hair. "I wish we were still friends and he was still in my life, but if it's a choice between having Shawn as my friend or Angela as my wife, it's not even a question." He raised his glass. "Here's to the future, to looking ahead. I'm about to spend the best years of my life with the most incredible woman in the world. I only hope I can treat her the way she deserves. To Angela."

"To Angela," Eric and Jack repeated as the guys tossed back their shots.

"So, you're still not going to tell us where this honeymoon is going to be," Eric smirked.

Cory rolled his eyes. He and Angela had only been keeping it quiet from work. Since she worked at a travel magazine and he occasionally filmed pieces for the Travel Channel along with international news documentaries, a lot of their vacations were work related. If work knew they were overseas, there was a chance they would try to get them to squeeze in an assignment. "We're going to England and then to Spain. It's where we first started to look at each other in a way other than friends. I thought mom told you. We've just been keeping it quiet around our offices. You know how our vacations have been turned it special assignments before."

"You mean you don't want to produce a special called, Top 20 Things to do on Your Honeymoon?"

Cory tried in vain not to blush. "That doesn't exactly sound like my idea of a good time."

"Oh, come on, I think it'd make the perfect travel channel documentary. Just picture it..."

A knock at the door interrupted the rest of Eric's sentence, for which Cory was grateful. There was no telling where this little idea could've ended up. "Come in."

"Hey," Alan said to the guys, noticing their glasses. "So this is where the party is."

"Just trying to get Cor to relax a little before he walks the plank, dad."

"I'm perfectly relaxed. Just waiting for the ceremony to begin."

"Okay, well, mind if we have a little father-son chat before the wedding?"

"Sure," Eric jumped in. "Cory, Jack if you'd kindly excuse us...," he walked over to the door and held it open.

"Eric," Alan laughed.

"Just keeping everyone on their toes, dad. We'll go make sure everyone is ready and in place."

"Big day, huh," he asked after Jack and Eric were gone.

"The biggest day of my life so far."

"So far...I like that. So many people put so much pressure on the wedding day itself that they forget about the marriage and living out the rest of their lives."

Cory laughed. "Dad, Angela and I have been busy living out our lives. It just took a while to get her to agree to the marriage part."

"I was starting to think you two would never get married."

"Me, too, but I had actually reached a point where I would've been okay with never getting married," he admitted. "As long as Angela and I are together nothing else matters." He laughed. "If she ran in here right now and decided to cancel the wedding and continue our lives the way they are, I'd say okay."

Alan smiled and shook his head. "Just don't tell your mother. She loves how important the idea of marriage is to you."

"It's still important obviously," he gestured to their surroundings," but I realized that being with Angela- married or not- is what is most important."

"You know, it's funny, I bet what made you realize that is the same thing that made Angela realize she wanted to get married."

"My accident," Cory said, nodding. "As cliched as it sounds, nearly dying makes it clear what you want to live for."

"You really scared us."

"It wasn't intentional, dad. You weren't the only one who was scared."

"Don't do it again," Alan ordered, pointing his finger at his son.

"I don't plan on it. Angela has already said she will kill me if I ever do that to her again."

"She'll have help," he smiled. He looked at his watch. "Well, we better get out there. We don't need an anxious bride storming in here."

"I'd actually be more worried about the army sergeant father of the bride," he laughed.

to be continued...


	2. Prologue Part 2

_So, I don't know if anyone is actually reading this, but I have no intention of stopping. ;-) I'm a bit rusty in my writing, I'm sure that probably shows, so if you are reading, please bear with me. I haven't written anything longer than one parters in years. I'm going to try to have at least one update a week, but that will depend on my work schedule. Some weeks may have more, other times it may be every other week._

_/_

_/_

_/_

_/_

_/_

"So, you're sure this is what you what, baby," Alvin Moore asked his daughter, taking her hands in his. "Because if it's not, just say the word and we're out the door before anyone can see us. I got a buddy in the Air Force with a helicopter on standby just waiting for a call from me."

"No, daddy," Angela smiled. "No helicopters, no Air Force buddies, no sneaking out. I love Cory and I want to marry him. There is no doubt in my mind."

"Just checking. I can't tell you how good it is to see you so happy."

"You didn't think I was happy before?"

"It's not that," Alvin began, walking away from his daughter. "For a long time I was worried that you would be so afraid of repeating the mistakes your mother and I had made that you would never allow yourself to get close enough to a person to trust and love them and be truly happy and free."

Angela frowned at the mention of her mother. She didn't want to think about her today. She hadn't seen or heard from the woman in three years and she was happy to keep it that way. "Let's not talk about her. Today is only for happiness. That's an order."

"Sir, yes, sir," he said, saluting his daughter.

"Oh, daddy," she laughed, hugging him, "I wish we got to see each other more often. A couple times a year just isn't enough, especially now that I've been spoiled by how much time we've spent together with the wedding planning."

"I wasn't going to say anything until after you got back from your honeymoon, but I've decided to retire."

"Really?"

"Yes. I've been promising you for a long time that I would and it's time. You're starting a new phase in your life, maybe it's time that I do, too."

"Are you going to move to New York," she asked, hopefully.

"I haven't decided. It will either be New York or Philadelphia. You think Cory is going want his father-in-law living so close?"

"Cory will want me happy. Besides, you guys get along great."

"We do, but after today I will be his father-in-law. Trust me, it will change things a little bit."

Angela knew that the dynamic between her and Cory would change when they got married. That's what had made her so nervous about marriage in the first place, she didn't want to screw with what was already a good thing. But she hadn't thought about the way things would change amongst their families.

Alvin noticed Angela's frown. "Is something wrong, Angela?"

"The Matthews' aren't going to be just Cory's family anymore, they're going to be my in-laws. You and Cory are going to be in-laws."

"I know," he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

"Well, you don't hear a lot of good things about in-laws, do you?"

"Baby, how long have you known the Matthews?"

"I don't know, 13, 14 years?"

"Don't you think if Amy and Alan were going to be the stereotypical nightmare in-laws you would've seen some sign of it by now? From everything I've seen, they've treated you like a daughter."

Angela smiled. "They have. I remember the first time I really spent time at their house, Cory and Topanga were still together and Shawn and I were broken up but staying there for Christmas. You were stationed overseas and they just welcomed me in."

"See? Why would that change now that you and Cory are getting married?"

"It wouldn't. The only thing I see changing is Amy putting on the pressure to get more grandchildren," she laughed.

"Don't be in a rush with that. I'm much too young to be a grandfather."

/

"Josh, will you stop pulling on your tie," Amy said, hurrying over to fix it. "You have to leave it on."

"But mom, I hate ties."

"Just leave it on through the ceremony. You can take it off after that."

He made a face. "Girls are lucky, they don't have to wear ties."

She laughed. "Lucky? Sweetie, I'd rather wear a tie than have to deal with high heels, pantyhose, bras,..."

"Ew, mom!" Josh covered his ears.

Cory walked over to them. "Hey, no fighting on my wedding day. What's going on?"

"Mom said bra," the preteen said, horrified.

"Oh, mom," he said, matching his little brother's expression. He put his arm around Josh's shoulders. "How could you traumatize young Joshua? Don't you know he's at a vulnerable age? He doesn't need to hear his mother say the word bra. Josh, why don't you go find Eric and Jack? They're trying to track down where the judge went so we can get started."

"Okay," Josh said, sulking off.

"The judge is missing," she asked, concerned.

"Not missing. It was just a long drive. He's getting some water and going over his notes." He smiled. "Don't worry, mom, this wedding will be wonderful."

"I know," she answered truthfully. "I am so happy for you, sweetie. You deserve this. You've waited so long for your happily ever after and now it's finally here." She started to tear up. "I just..."

"Mom, don't cry."

"My baby's getting married," she said, getting tissues out of her purse, "I can cry if I want to. I cried at Eric's wedding, I'll cry at Morgan's wedding and I'll even cry at Josh's wedding if I haven't scarred him for life by uttering the word bra," she and Cory laughed. "It's my right as a mother to cry." She touched the side of his face. "But know that they are happy tears, okay?"

"I know."

"I love you and I love and adore Angela."

"Hey, why does she get love and adore and I just get love?"

Amy smacked his arm lightly, chuckling. "You know what I mean. Life hasn't gone the way you've planned it, you've been thrown some curve balls, but you didn't let it get you down. You rolled with it. You've come out on the other side with a great life, a family who loves you, a wonderful woman who will be your wife, a good career, great friends...it's everything I ever wanted for you Cory." She wrapped him in a huge hug.

"Thanks, mom. I couldn't have done it without you."

"Azalea, come here!"

Cory looked up and saw a little girl dashing out of the ceremony room. She was running in his direction. He scooped her up before she could get any farther. He studied her face. She looked very familiar, but he knew he had never met her before.

"Hello," he said. "Who do you belong to?"

"Azalea!"

Suddenly, Cory's feelings of familiarity were clear as Topanga appeared in the lobby. She was panicked, scanning the area for her daughter. Cory took a couple steps forward.

"I'll give you two a couple of minutes," Amy said, walking away.

"I take it this runaway belongs to you?"

Topanga sighed, relief washing over her face. She hurried over to Cory. "I am so, so sorry. She got restless and I reached in my bag to get her a couple crackers and she took off."

"It's okay. It's probably my fault. The wedding was supposed to start a while ago. The judge was running late. We should be starting as soon."

Topanga held her arms out to her daughter. "Come here, baby." She kissed her forehead. "You don't run away from mommy and daddy. Okay? Can you say that? No running away."

"No run away," Azalea repeated.

Cory couldn't help but stare as Topanga interacted with her little girl. It was strange to think that, in another lifetime, this could've been their daughter. Well, kind of. If Topanga hadn't broken up with him in college they would be celebrating their tenth wedding anniversary this year. He does sometimes wonder what his life would've been like had he and Topanga stayed together. But then he thinks of Angela and the life they share together and can't imagine being any happier than he is at this moment. Topanga looks up and notices him staring.

"Cory, is something wrong? You're staring."

"No, it's just...you look beautiful." He decided to go with the safe, yet truthful answer.

She ran a hand through her hair self-consciously. "Thanks. It's been so long since we've seen each other. I probably don't look the same."

"You'll always be beautiful to me, Topanga."

She smiled. "That's sweet."

"I think the last time we saw each other it was right after you had your son."

"Has it been that long," she pondered sadly. "Orion is four now."

"How old is the runaway?"

"Azalea will be three next month. And yes, we planned them that close together," she added, rolling her eyes. "You'd be surprised how many people ask us that."

"You're kidding?"

"Nope. Get ready. As soon as you say 'I do' people will ask you when you're going to have a baby."

"My mom is already asking," they laughed.

"Don't Eric and his wife have a child?"

"Twins- James and Christa, they're 16 months old.

"I thought Eric named his son after Mr. Feeny?"

"Well, James's middle name is Feeny and Eric's dog is also named Feeny, but that is a long story."

Topanga laughed. "I think I'll have to get that story at the reception."

"Well, Angela and I have you at a table next to my parents and Mr. Feeny so you can visit easily."

"You mean I'm not hidden in the corner like any other ex at a wedding would be?"

"You're not a typical ex. No matter what happened between us, you're always going to be important to me, Topanga. I'd like to think we're still friends, and I know Angela feels the same. I know we don't keep in touch that often, but I'm always going to care about you. I want the best for you and I truly hope you're happy."

"I am," she said, shifting her wiggling daughter from one hip to the other. "It's busy and chaotic and I haven't slept in 4 years," she laughed, "but I am happy. I have a good life."

"Mommy, down," Azalea said, trying to get out of her mother's arms.

"Cory," Jack said, coming over. "The judge is all ready to go." He noticed Topanga and smiled. "Hey, Topanga."

"Hi, Jack." She turned to Cory. "We'll go take out seats. Just in case we don't get to talk again tonight, I am very happy for you and Angela." She kissed his cheek. "I hope you have a long, happy life together."

"Thanks."

"Ooh," Azalea said, "I tell daddy you kiss him."


	3. Prologue Part 3

_It's been a little longer than I planned, sorry about that (if people are reading, lol, I'll still be writing even if no one is) but work has been busy. There will be one more prologue type chapter and then we will go back in time to begin the journey and see how Cory and Angela got together. I'm still feeling rusty and I'm sure it shows, but I'm trying to write through it. I know I haven't really had Cory and Angela interacting with each other yet, but that will be changing in the next few chapters. The chapters will also be getting longer, I promise._

/

"It is now time for Angela and Cory to declare their love for one another with vows they've chosen to write themselves. Angela?"

Angela took a deep breath and locked eyes with Cory. The love she saw reflected back at her was almost overwhelming. "Cory, when we decided to write our own vows I thought it would be no problem. After all, how difficult is it to tell the person you love that you love them?" Angela and Cory both chuckled, knowing that expressing her feelings had never come easily to her. "We got within a few weeks of the wedding and I still had nothing, but I wasn't worried. I mean, I've had articles down to the last few minutes waiting to be written and I've always gotten them done. I've never missed a deadline," she stated proudly. "Let me correct that, I have now missed a deadline. I'm up here with no vows." She heard mumbles from the crowd. "Trust me, I know, it's crazy. I told no one because I knew they'd be freaking out. I wasn't though-not about that. And believe me, I've had a few mini freak outs about stupid little things today." He looked concerned. "Don't worry, I'm good now."

"I know I'm rambling," Angela continued nervously, "but what I mean to say is I knew that when I came out here and was staring into your eyes the right words would come to me. Cory, I love the way you've never given up on love. For a long time I thought love, especially love that lasts a lifetime was meant for other people. Before you, 'I love you' was something people would say right before they hurt me. Or they would use it to try to make it all better after having already hurt me. But not you, never you. You say 'I love you' because you mean it, you want me to know it, and you love saying it. As much as I tease you sometimes for sounding sappy, I hope you never get tired of saying it to me because I never get tired of hearing it." Her voice hitched as she wiped a tear from her eye. "I know I'm not very good at expressing myself or saying I love you, but please...please never doubt that I do. You've made me believe in a love that I didn't even think was possible for me and I only hope I can do the same for you for the rest of our lives."

Cory gazed at his soon-to-be wife in awe. She chewed on her bottom lip nervously, oblivious to the fact that she was ruining her lip gloss. She was awaiting his reaction. They may not have been the most eloquent vows, but they were more sincere than any he's ever heard and they meant the world to him. He kissed her hand and held it to his heart. "How do you expect me to follow that, huh," he chuckled.

"Angela, 8 years ago when I took you up on your offer to visit you in London, I never dreamed we'd end up here. Now I can't imagine my life any other way...I don't want to imagine my life any other way. Life without you is not worth living. Because of you I'm more adventurous, more considerate, more loving. I'm a better person than I would've been without you, I know that." Cory held her hand against his cheek. "And I will never get tired of telling you how much I love you. You don't have to worry about that. I love you more every day."

Cory was surprised to find himself getting a little teary. Angela wiped away the few stray tears that fell.

"Can I have the rings, please," the judge asked interrupting Cory and Angela's little moment. Eric and Rachel placed the rings in the judge's hand. "Cory and Angela have chosen rings as outward symbols of the commitment they make today. For as far back as we can trace, rings have been used as a symbol of wedded love. An unbroken and never-ending circle symbolizes a commitment to love that is also never ending.

"Angela, take this ring and place it on Cory's finger, repeating after me..."

"You don't have to say it," Angela jumped in, taking the ring, "I already have it memorized."

The judge, along with everyone in attendance, laughed. "This is a first, but all right. Go ahead."

"Cory, let this ring be a symbol of my promises to you and a reminder of my devotion to you." She slid the ring onto his finger. "I am honored to call you my husband."

The judge turned to Cory. "Cory, are you as prepared as your bride, or do you need to repeat after me?"

"I think I got it," he grinned.

"Well, then please take the ring and place it on Angela's finger, reciting your memorized lines," he added humorously.

"Angela, let this ring be a symbol of my promises to you and a reminder of my devotion to you. I am honored to call you my wife." He kissed her hand and they turned to the judge.

"Cory and Angela, having witnessed your vows of marriage with all who are assembled here, and by the authority vested in me by the state of Pennsylvania, I now pronounce you husband and wife." He smiled at the couple. "What? This part of the ceremony wasn't memorized," he chuckled, "Go on, you may now kiss each other."

To much applause and celebration, Angela was the one to close the gap between herself and Cory. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pressed her lips to his, amazed by the fact that she was now kissing her husband. For as much as getting married didn't matter to her before, she was so happy to be Cory's wife now. She pulled away when he tried to deepen the kiss, after all, their parents were in the front row.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to present to you for the first time as husband and wife, Angela Moore and Cory Matthews!"

Shawn watched as the smiling couple made their way back up the aisle, thankfully too wrapped up in each other to even have a chance to see him. He had waited until right after Angela walked down the aisle before he took his seat, sitting in the back, surrounded by people he had never met before. This certainly wasn't how he had imagined things. On Cory's wedding day, he was supposed to be standing up there beside him, the best man. And on Angela's wedding day, he was supposed to be the groom. Instead it was like he was in some alternate universe, like he was George Bailey in _It's a Wonderful Life_, being shown what would've happened had he never been born. But it wasn't an alternate universe or a movie, it was real. Cory and Angela were married now. Shawn had handled it very badly when they got together and had ignored all of Cory attempts to make contact since then. He wanted to make it better, to find some way to make it up to them. He wanted his friends back.

"Daddy, when do we get to eat cake?"

Shawn chuckled at his daughter, "Not until after dinner, Char."

The little girl stood up on her chair, wide eyed as Cory and Angela passed by the last few rows. "Wow, daddy, that lady looks like a princess. She's so pretty."

"Yeah, she is."


	4. Prologue Part 4

I'm sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. I had a bit of trouble deciding how much of Shawn to include and it took a few rewrites until I was happy enough with the chapter to post it. The good news is the next chapter is nearly finished and ready to go. I appreciate your patience.

/

"How long do you think we could stay in here before people would actually start to miss us, Cory asked, backing Angela against the wall of her preparation room.

Grabbing onto his tie, she pulled him even closer. "I'd say five, maybe ten minutes."

He debated momentarily, "Okay, that works for me."

"Cory!" She lightly smacked his chest.

"What?"

"Our friends and family are right outside," she reminded him. "Our reception is being set up right across the hall."

"You're the one who wanted the ceremony and reception in the same location. If we had them separately think of how much fun the car ride could've been. But no, you wanted to make it easy on our guests," he pouted.

Angela laughed at his frustration. They had been very busy this past week doing last minute wedding planning and trying to spend time with their families. It really didn't leave them time for each other. "In three days we leave for our honeymoon. Ten days in England and ten days in Spain. No work, no distractions, no nothing. Just us."

"That sounds perfect." He wrapped his arms loosely around her waist. "When is the last time we've had that much uninterrupted time together?"

"Uninterrupted? I don't think we've ever had that much time all to ourselves. There's always been work or family attached to most of our trips. What if we get bored with each other?" She smiled to let him know she was kidding. "Although we did get to spend quite a bit of time together in Australia."

"I was in the hospital recovering, I'd hardly consider that a vacation. But it is where I realized it didn't matter if we were married or not, so long as we were together."

"Oh, you mean we could've skipped this whole ceremony," she winked at him. "I love you." She cupped his face in her hands and kissed him deeply.

"I love you, too." He looked at her from head to toe, taking in the whole look. "Have I told you how gorgeous you look today?"

"Many times, but I can never hear it enough."

"I remember when you said your dress wouldn't be traditional and I wondered what the heck that meant, but when I saw you for pictures this morning, wow."

"Really?"

"You took my breath away. This short, gold, lace dress really suits you."

"Gold? Cory, my dress isn't gold."

"Then what is it?"

"It's champagne. Can't you tell the difference?"

Cory tried in vain to stop from rolling his eyes. He really didn't want to spend their few minutes alone debating the color of her dress. "Angela, I'm a guy. I don't care about the color of the dress, I just care about what's underneath the dress."

"Pervert."

"Yeah," he admitted, wrapping his arms around her waist, "but do I at least get points for honesty?"

"I suppose," she teased. "You know, you do look pretty hot in this tux."

"Now who's being the pervert?"

"I'm shallow."

"That's a double standard, don't you think?"

"Maybe, but do you really want to argue now?"

"Not at all."

/

"Daddy, when is dinner?"

"Soon, really soon. They just have to finish setting up the tables." Shawn flagged down a waiter and grabbed a few appetizers he knew Charlotte would eat. "Here, you go."

"Thank you."

Shawn glanced around the vestibule, so far he had gone unnoticed- hanging around on the outskirts of activity. It was interesting, watching people he hadn't seen in so long talking and having fun. Topanga and her family were talking to Mr. Feeny. She was holding a young girl in her arms and all three adults were paying attention to what a little boy was saying. Shawn sadly wondered when Topanga had her daughter. He last saw her right after she found out her first child was going to be a boy. He remembered how excited she was about becoming a mother. But they lost touch after she moved to Washington, D.C. and he moved...well, he moved all over for a while. Jack and Rachel still kept in touch with her, but Shawn had backed away from every one from Philadelphia. He was here to change that.

Continuing to looking around the room he saw Amy and Alan Matthews talking to Eric's wife, Shaina, who was still as gorgeous as he remembered. How Eric lucked into marrying a former model was beyond Shawn, but they seemed really good together from what he could recall. Amy and Shaina were each holding a baby, they were all laughing and talking. He had missed so much.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"Shawn jumped and turned to find Eric standing there. "Eric, I'd appreciate it if you didn't use that kind of language in front of my daughter."

Eric looked down, only just noticing the little girl who was now clinging tightly to Shawn's hand and hiding behind his leg. He looked skeptically at Shawn. "Your daughter? Jack and Rachel never said anything about you having a daughter."

He leaned closer to Eric and spoke quietly, not wanting Charlotte to hear this. "I asked them not say anything. I don't have a good reason for it and it just makes me look stupid and petty, I know." He backed away from Eric. "This is Charlotte."

"Hi, Charlotte," he smiled apologetically, crouching down to her level. "I'm really sorry if I scared you before, but your dad really surprised me by being here. My name is Eric. Your Uncle Jack and Aunt Rachel are my best friends."

"You know my Uncle Jack and Aunt Rachel," she asked, slowly melting. No one was cooler to Charlotte than her Aunt Rachel. If Eric was friends with her, how bad could he be?

"I sure do. Your dad and I have been friends for a long time, too," he embellished. "I've probably known him since he was younger than you are. How old are you?"

"I will be 5 in December. My birthday is December 29 if you want to send me a present."

"Charlotte Amy Fiona!"

Eric laughed. "I will definitely remember your birthday." He figured with Shawn keeping her hidden from everyone he grew up with, she might not have gotten a ton of presents. The least he could do is send her something. "Your middle name is Amy?" He looked at Shawn.

"Yeah, daddy said it was after a real nice lady who took care of him when he was growing up. And Fiona is my mommy's name, but she left when I was a baby," she stated in the matter-of-fact way that only a child could. She looked up and saw a familiar face coming towards her. "Auntie Rachel!"

"Char," Rachel exclaimed, scooping the girl up in a hug. "What are you doing here?"

"Daddy said it would be a surprise. Are you surprised," she asked, a smile lighting up her face.

Rachel did her best to appear happy, after all it wasn't Charlotte's fault her father brought her here. "Of course I am, sweetie. I always love seeing you. But boy am I surprised," she added, glaring at her brother-in-law.

"Rachel," Eric jumped in before anything else could be said, "why don't you take Miss Charlotte over to meet my mom. Charlotte, would you like to meet the lady named Amy who took care of your dad?"

Her eyes lit up. "That's where my name came from! She's here?"

"She sure is," he smiled. "And I know she is going to love to meet you. Aunt Rachel is going to take you over to meet her now. And Aunt Rachel, be discreet please. This is still Cory and Angela's day."

"Of course. We want today to remain about the bride and groom, no one else." She looked at Charlotte and smiled warmly. "Let's go meet Amy and visit with Uncle Jack. I'm sure he'll love this little surprise."

Once Rachel had Charlotte far enough away, Eric pulled Shawn outside on the patio and closed the door. "If you're here to screw this up for Cory and Angela, leave...just leave. In fact, I think it's best if you leave anyway. Charlotte can stay, she seems like an awesome kid, but you have to go."

"Eric, I know you have no reason to believe me, but I'm not here to screw up anything. In fact, I'm here to make amends. Looking around today I see how much I've missed. Topanga has children. When did you have a kid?"

"Sixteen months ago and it was twins."

"See, I missed that. I've also missed so much more with my best friends."

Eric shook his head. "You don't get it. You don't pick someone's wedding as a time to reclaim your friends and family."

"But..."

"No, what, you think it's such a wonderful gift to have you back? Is that your wedding gift to them? Do you know how selfish that is? Once they know you're here, today will become about you instead of them."

Shawn was quiet. He hadn't actually thought about what would happen after he showed up and talked to them. The idea that he could somehow take the focus off of Cory and Angela or steal their thunder hadn't occurred to him. "I guess I didn't think things through." He cleared his throat. "You really think Cory and Angela don't ever want to see me again?"

Eric rolled his eyes. "Oh, cut the sad, lonely, hurt, pathetic Shawn crap. I'm in my 30's and you're knocking at 30's door, get over it. I'm not saying they never want to see you, but visit during a birthday, summer vacation, Thanksgiving, any other day that is not Cory and Angela's wedding." He didn't know how else to make his point. "You really want them to be happy and make amends? Give them today."

He hated to admit it, but Eric made sense. "When did you grow up and get so wise, Eric? Where did the crazy, goofy guy go?"

"I'm still crazy and goofy, but I know when it's appropriate to bring it out."

"Shaina's mellowed you out, huh?"

He laughed. "No, she likes a little crazy, but it was exhausting being that on all the time." He paused, trying to get a read on what Shawn was doing. "So, are you leaving?"

"I need to think for a minute."

Eric took a step forward. "Don't make me throw you out, Hunter. If you stay, no matter how good your intentions are, you will take the focus of the day off of them. Do the right thing, leave."

Just then, the doors from the opposite end of the patio opened, revealing Cory.

"Eric? I thought I heard you talking out here. What's going...," he stopped when he saw the person with his brother.

"Shawn," Angela asked, appearing behind Cory. "What are you doing here?"

"Don't worry, Angie, he's leaving," Eric insisted, looking pointedly at Shawn. "Right, Shawn?"

"Did you come here to ruin our wedding?" She was almost daring him to say yes with her tone. "Is that why you're here?" She stood next to Cory.

"Angela, no. I swear to you, not at all."

"Then why, after all this time, have you chosen today to grace us with your presence?"

Shawn didn't know what to say next. He hadn't expected to be greeted with open arms, but so much hostility from Angela was also a surprise. But then, he guessed he deserved it. "I came to apologize, to make it up to you. I've finally come to terms with you guys being together."

"So, you came to give us permission? Or your blessing? What?"

"No, I...this isn't coming out the way I want it to." He ran his hands through his hair. "I realize I screwed up big time. I came to fix it. I miss you both. I miss everyone." He shrugged. "I want my friends back."

"And now today is all about Shawn," Eric muttered under his breath.

"I can't deal with this today," Angela said as she shook her head. "In fact, I will not deal with this today. I'm going to continue enjoying my wedding day whether you stay or not. I really don't care." She looked at Cory, just now realizing he had been pretty quiet for the last few minutes. He was the real reason she had been so defensive towards Shawn, she didn't want Cory to be hurt. He had tried so many times to reach out and offer help and friendship only to be shut down. "You okay, babe?"

"Yeah," he drew out slowly. "I need to have a minute alone with Shawn."

"Okay." She kissed him gently, not to show off or prove something in front of Shawn, but simply to support her husband. "Eric, care to get your new sister a drink at the bar," she asked, linking her arm through his.

"Sure."

"Don't get my bride drunk before the first dance," Cory teased. "You two and alcohol are a dangerous combination."

"Aw, but Angie's such a fun drunk." Angela hits his chest. "Ow! Well, you are. I remember when I visited you guys last year and Cory had already fallen asleep and you decided to make a fourth martini and..."

Cory stared at his former best friend. There was a time he would've welcomed Shawn back into his life no questions asked. But a lot of time has passed, a lot of things have happened, and it wasn't just Cory's life anymore. If Angela decided she didn't want Shawn in their lives, he would stand by her.

"Did you want to stay out here just to stare at me?"

"What?"

"Well, it's been a few minutes and you haven't said anything."

"Oh."

Shawn sighed. "Okay, I'll start. Eric and Angela are drinking buddies? When did that happen? And how does he get away with calling her Angie? She hates that."

Cory smiled. "I don't know if I'd call them drinking buddies. Neither one of them drinks a lot, but they sure do have fun when they drink together. And I don't know how Eric gets away with Angie. I got the look death when I attempted it."

"Man, it's been a long time, huh?"

"That's all you have to say," Cory asked, remembering the last time saw each other at Mr. Feeny's birthday party a few years ago.

"Lame, I know. I had this all worked out in my head."

"Really? How was it supposed to happen?"

"Does it really matter now?"

"I'd like to know."

"Well, after Rachel and Eric made their best man and matron of honor speeches, I was going to make a toast. I was going to wish you and Angela a happy life together and hope that tonight would be start of new beginnings for us all."

"Would you really mean it?"

"Of course."

"Forgive me for being skeptical, but the last time I saw you, you made it quite clear how you felt."

"I know and I'm sorry. I was too stupid and immature to see the wonderful thing that happened to you and Angela."

"You don't have to go overboard," Cory chuckled. "I mean, yes it's wonderful for us, but I know it's never easy to see your ex with someone else," Cory admitted. "I know that."

"But still, I could've handled it better."

"What makes you think you can handle it better now?"

"I've grown up a lot, Cor." He sighed. "I have a daughter now. I want to be a good role model for her and I want her to have good people in her life."

"You have a daughter?"

"Yeah, her name is Charlotte. She's almost 5. She's here, probably visiting with your mom right now."

"Almost 5?" Cory did the math in his head, that meant Shawn's daughter was already here the last time they saw each other and he had no clue. "How did I not know about her?"

"No one knew, Cory. I asked Jack and Rachel not to say anything. It was stupid and I've kept you from knowing her and I've deprived her from some really wonderful people." He blinked back tears that unexpectedly came to his eyes. "Look, what I'm saying is I want my best friend back. I miss you, Cor. I miss you, I miss Angela, I miss your whole family. I miss belonging to a family" Shawn paused before continuing. "I'm not going to lie, there's probably always going to be a part of me that loves Angela and wonders what could've been, but I've learned that hard way that I miss you both as friends more. If you want me to leave I'll leave, but I would love to stay and celebrate your wedding with you."

Cory was quiet, trying to decide what to do. He knew how difficult it was for Shawn to say everything he just said, but did it mean he deserved an automatic fresh start? Part of him wanted to tell Shawn to leave, that too much time had passed, but he missed him, too. As close as he and Eric have become, and as great as Jack has been, and no matter how many really good friends he's made over the years traveling or through work no one else has truly filled the best friend void.

"If Angela says it's okay, you can stay. We might have to squeeze you and your daughter in, but I think we can fit you in at Topanga's table."

"Thanks, Cory. I know it's going to take a while to rebuild the friendship we had, but I know you'll see I've changed."

"I don't think we can ever go back to the friendship we had before. We were kids then, we're men now. But I do hope you're right about getting our friendship back. Maybe you were right about what you said before, tonight could be a night for new beginnings."

/

"Family, friends, right now Cory and Angela will share their first dance as husband and wife," the emcee announced. "I'm told the groom chose the song all by himself which, in my experience, can be very interesting. So let's see how big a hole Cory's dug for himself or how many points he's scored." Laughter filled the ballroom as guests talked amongst themselves, trying to guess what Cory could've come up with. "Ladies and gentlemen, Cory and Angela."

Cory took Angela's hand and lead her to the dance floor. "Am I going to regret letting you decide this on your own," she whispered.

"You may think it's too sappy, but I think I did good."

She smiled at him. "I love that your so romantic, sappy, whatever you want to call it. I can be too cynical sometimes, I need your sappiness."

When they reached the middle of the dance floor The Beatles' _All You Need is Love_ began to play. Everyone in the ballroom smiled, knowing it truly captured Cory's view of love and relationships.

"You know," he began, resting his hand on the small of her back, "I wish would've found time to squeeze in those dance lessons like you wanted. I forget how terrible I am until I dance around other people."

"Shh," Angela hissed, laying her head against his chest. "There is no one else here right now. It's just you and me. The people out there might as well be cardboard cutouts. Just dance."

He grinned. "That's what you said in that club in Barcelona."

"I know."

"I think that's the night I started to fall in love with you."

"I know that, too."

"How?"

"Because you woke up in my bed the next morning," she smirked.

He laughed loudly and tried to stop from blushing. "I'm not talking about that with you with our parents watching. With my luck your dad can read lips and will kill me."

"Spin me."

"Getting bossy on me already," he teased, spinning her. "I like it." He followed in up with a dip. "But I can still toss a surprise or two in there." He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her to him for a kiss as the song ended.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

to be continued...

/

The next chapter will start the journey back in time, to show how Cory and Angela got together.


	5. Chapter 1

_Okay, now we're going back to the beginning to see how exactly Cory and Angela got together. It won't happen immediately, but I think it will be worth the wait. We're now about 10-11 years before their wedding. There will be chapters that skip over weeks/months but I will let you know when that happens._

"Topanga," Cory said, his voice echoing though out her now sparsely filled dorm. "Are you ready to go?" It was the last day to be out of the dorms for the summer. Topanga had been so distracted by her parents' separation she hadn't been able to focus on anything else. He was helping her pack her things and then driving her to Pittsburgh, where she would be spending time with her mom. All of their wedding planning was being put on hold for now and that was okay with him. He would wait until Topanga was ready, no matter how long it took. He would wait forever for her if he had to.

"Topanga," he called out again, a little louder this time. She was lost in her own world. That had been happening a lot lately. She was sitting on the bed with her back to him, but he could see her shoulders shaking. She was crying. That was happening a lot, too. Cory knelt down on the floor beside the bed and took her hand in his. "Is there anything I can do for you?" With his free hand he brushed her hair out of her eyes. He was truly concerned about her. Her parents' separation had sent her on a downward spiral and he didn't know how to pull her back up again. She wasn't eating, Angela said she hadn't been sleeping much, and he had been witness to many of her crying jags.

Topanga took a deep breath and tried to stop her tears. Cory was being so sweet and she was about to break his heart. "Cory, I've been doing a lot of thinking." She paused, fanning her face, hoping that would stop the tears. "God, this is hard."

"What is?"

"You know I love you more than anything, right?"

He frowned at her question. Usually when someone asked that, bad news followed. "Why don't I have a good feeling about where this is going?"

"I grew up thinking my parents had the perfect marriage, the perfect life. They were our age when they got married, they were high school sweethearts." She let out a small sob. "I thought we were destined to follow in their footsteps. I thought they had a perfect love. I thought we had a perfect love."

Cory grasped her hand more tightly than before. "We do, Topanga. Together we're perfect."

She shook her head, "No." She freed her hand from his and stood, walking away from him. "Nothing is perfect, Cory. No one is perfect. People fight, they argue, and they hurt each other."

He spoke cautiously, unsure of how to respond. "And then they discuss things rationally and fix it."

"Sometimes things can't be fixed!"

Topanga knelt down in front of Cory and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her forehead to his. She took a deep breath, breathing in his cologne as his arms instinctively went around her waist. "I can't marry you, Cory," she whispered.

A knife to the gut would've been less painful. "You mean you can't marry me right now, right?"

She held onto him a little tighter. "No, I mean I can't get married, not to you or anyone else, maybe not ever."

Cory pulled his face away from hers and stared into her eyes, surprised to find her not crying. Of all the times to not be crying, she chose now? "What? Why? I don't understand..."

She watched, feeling helpless as the confusion played out across his face. "I don't believe in love anymore." She paused. "I don't know how to be in love anymore," she clarified.

"You don't believe in me? In us?"

"I don't know how to answer that. Whatever answer I give you is going to hurt."

"Look, I know your parents' separation has thrown you for a loop, but that's no reason to toss our plans out the window."

" 'Threw me for a loop,'" she repeated, shocked he would phrase it that way. "How can you be so insensitive?"

In a flash Cory pulled away from Topanga and was on his feet. "Insensitive? How could you call me insensitive? What have you wanted me to do in the last several weeks that I haven't done? I've been at your beck and call! It didn't matter what time it was. Remember last Wednesday," he pointed his finger at her, "you called me crying, saying you needed to talk. I came over. It didn't matter that it was 2 o'clock in the morning or that I had a final at 8. I was there!" He was shouting at this point. "How dare you call me insensitive." He sat on her bed and put his head in his hands.

For the longest time neither of them said anything. Cory didn't know what to say and Topanga was afraid that anything she said would just hurt Cory even more. She didn't want to hurt him. She did love him, that's why she was doing this. She knew someday he would see it her way. After a while, Topanga broke the silence. Someone had to.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have called you insensitive. You've been so wonderful to me during this whole thing.'

"So wonderful that you want to leave me?"

"Cory," she sighed, "don't do this. I'm afraid if we stay together we'll just end up hurting each other like my parents. It would kill me to know I did that to you."

"What do you think you're doing to me right now?" Before she could respond, he continued. "And it's not like your parents are the only other couple in the world. What about my parents?"

"What about them?"

"They got married when they were young and they're still in love. They disagree and have fights sometimes, but they decide every day that whatever their issues, they still want to be together and love each other more than anything." He looked to Topanga, who was still kneeling on the floor. She wasn't looking at him, she was staring at her hands in her lap. "Why can't we look to them for inspiration? Why does your parents' marriage ending have to destroy your faith in love altogether where there are other examples of love working?"

"I didn't grow up wanting a marriage like your parents, I grew up wanting to be like my parents." She played with her engagement ring, twisting it back and forth on her finger. "I learned about love from watching my parents. What if I've subconsciously picked up on their cues on how to hurt your partner?"

"That's ridiculous."

"No, it's not. There have been numerous studies on how children repeat patterns and behaviors they get from their parents," she pointed out. "Like how abuse can continue from one generation to the next."

"We're hardly talking about an abusive relationship here, Topanga. We're talking about two people who were once in love that are, very sadly, not anymore." He rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming. "I still do not see why this means we have to end our relationship. You, we can learn from your parents' mistakes and have a better marriage than they did."

Topanga sighed in frustration. She knew Cory wasn't going to let her go without a fight, but they were just going in circles at this point. "Cory..."

"Are you just going to have a counter argument for everything I have to say," he interrupted, feeling defeated. "Are you that determined to break up with me? Is there anything I can do that could change your mind?"

She slowly got up off the floor and sat beside him on the bed. "I highly doubt it." She looked at Cory and found him staring at the floor. She gently lifted his chin and made him look her in the eye. "Cory, I do love you, but I really feel that this is for the best. I always thought I was so strong and self-confident, but what does it say about me when my parents' marriage falling apart has me doubting everything in my life?"

"Topanga, you're the strongest, most beautiful person I know."

Topanga smiled, maybe her first genuine smile in weeks. "Thank you. It's nice to know that at least one of us still believes in me."

"What? How can you not..."

She held her hand up, stopping him. "Please, let me finish. That's why I think breaking up would be good for us. I need to learn to be strong and self-reliant and to know that if all else fails, I can depend on me. I need to grow up before I can marry you or anyone else."

Cory wanted to argue with her, but she was making some sense. He hated it, but it was true. "Can we still hang out sometime? As friends, I mean? We will still be going to the same school and living in the same dorms for the next few years of college. We should make things as pleasant as possible." He hesitated before continuing. "I don't want to lose you completely."

Topanga slowly got up and walked to the desk. She opened a drawer and began putting the contents into a box. She didn't have the heart to face Cory when she told him.

"I won't be attending Pennbrook next year."

"What?"

"A couple weeks ago I contacted Yale. They accepted me once. I wanted to see if they would accept me again."

"You're transferring to Yale?"

"Yes." She didn't turn around to face him, afraid of what his reaction would be.

"When were you going to tell me?"

"I don't know, when it came up, when the time seemed right."

"Will you at least look at me when we're talking?" Cory walked toward her as she turned to face him. "I guess you really do feel like you need a fresh start, huh?"

"More independence than anything else," Topanga corrected. "How am I going to learn to stand on my own and be strong with you, Shawn, Angela, Jack, Rachel, and yes- even Eric- there to catch me? And that doesn't even include Mr. Feeny and your parents."

"You don't have to be all alone to be strong."

"I know, but I really think this is something I need to do. Do you understand that, Cory?"

"I'm trying, but it's going to take time."

She gave a small smile. "Okay."

Cory frowned when he saw her smile. "You're smiling?"

"What?"

"I can't help but notice that ever since you told me you want to break up with me and go off to Yale so you can lead your independent life, you haven't shed one tear," he pointed out with a hint of bitterness in his voice. "Why is that? Ever since you found out about your parents' break up you've been crying non-stop, but now nothing. Why?"

"I wasn't only crying over my parents, Cory."

"You weren't?"

"No," Topanga replied, shaking her head. "I was crying for you, for us. I suppose I made up my mind about our relationship weeks ago and I'm terrified of being out there in the world without you holding my hand. And honestly, what scares me the most is that you might hate me."

"I don't hate you, Topanga. I could never hate you. How can I? I've spent most of my life being in love with you." He paused, debating whether or not to continue, but decided to go ahead. After all, she said all she needed to and held nothing back. "I'm not going to lie, I'm angry and hurt that you didn't trust me enough to talk about this weeks ago. You've gone ahead and decided the entire course of our relationship without giving me any input whatsoever."

"You're right," she admitted quietly. "I should've discussed things with you sooner. Like I said, I was afraid of how you would react. I couldn't stand the thought of you hating me."

"I guess I can understand that. I wouldn't want you to hate me, either." He looked over her shoulder at the clock on the desk. "We only have a little more than an hour to get everything out of here and in the van. You don't have a lot left but we better get busy."

Topanga looked at him, surprised. "You would still drive me all the way to Pittsburgh after I broke up with you? You don't have to. I already called a rental place just in case."

"I said I would drive you and I will. I know you don't like to make that drive alone and you're still not comfortable driving larger vehicles. I'll drive you, I want to."

She was touched that Cory was still thinking of her even though she broke his heart. She wanted to once again argue that she could drive herself, but sensed that the best thing to do would be to be quiet and accept his offer. "Thank you, Cory." She took a deep breath and looked down at her hand. "I guess there's only one thing left to do."

Cory watched as she began to take the ring off. "Topanga, no."

"Cory, this isn't like your jean jacket, which by the way, you are never getting back." They both smiled. "It was your grandmother's engagement ring. As much as I love it, it wouldn't be right to keep it."

He stared at the ring, now in his hand, still not believing this was happening to him. Just a few weeks ago his life was perfect. He was happily engaged, planning a summer wedding, doing well in school, having fun with friends, and helping his dad at the wilderness store to make money. Now he had no fiancee, no wedding to plan, school was done for a few months, all he had his was friends and family. That was all good, but he had been planning for his future with Topanga. He had no contingency plan. What was he supposed to do now?

"Topanga, I'm going to hang onto this for you. We're meant to be together," he insisted. "I'm going to put this back on your finger someday."

"I hope so," she replied truthfully. "If we really are meant to be together, then this is just a bump in the road." Topanga looked down, feeling tears burning in her eyes.

"What?"

"Nothing, it's...we're broken up," she said with a painful realization.

Cory wanted to tell Topanga that the only reason they were broken up was because she had broken them up. He wanted to tell her that she could choose to believe in him, in them, in love, but instead she was walking away. Still, no matter how upset he was right now, he couldn't bring himself to purposely hurt her. So he did what came naturally, he wrapped his arms around her and didn't let go.

"We better get busy," he whispered into her hair. "It's a long drive to Pittsburgh."

to be continued...


	6. Chapter 2

_(I am so, so incredibly sorry for the long delay. I got busy with school and work and I guess before I knew it 5 months went by. Time and the story got away from me. Very sorry, I'm going to try to stick with my one chapter a week, or at worst one chapter every other week.)_ Timeline wise we are right after Topanga broke up with Cory.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe you just let her go without a fight."<p>

"What was I supposed to do, Shawn? Topanga made it quite clear that she didn't want to be with me anymore and I wasn't going to change her mind. Should I've tied her to a chair and kept her here until she agreed to stay with me?"

"Yes."

"Shawn!"

"You and Topanga are meant to be together," Shawn insisted, pacing the length of the apartment. "At least that's what you two have been telling me all our lives. Now when things get difficult she wants to bail and you just let her? How could you do that, Cory? You guys kept telling Angela and I how much we belonged together and we finally smartened up and listened. Now you fall apart?"

"Shawn, enough," Angela exclaimed. She knew if she didn't jump in he wouldn't stop. "You are not helping right now. And Topanga has some very valid reasons for not wanting to be in a relationship at the moment."

"Of course you would take her side."

"I'm not taking any side. I'm Topanga's friend and I'm Cory's friend. I intend to support them both through this, just like they supported us."

"They supported us by getting us back together."

"Shawn, shut up," Cory said, putting his head in his hands. "It'll be a little more difficult for us to get back together because she's transferring to Yale.

"What?"

"Yeah, Topanga wants space and independence to be her own person."

He sat next to Cory. "She's wrong. She's never better than when she's with you."

Cory wondered if he was this annoying when he was trying to get Shawn and Angela back together. "Shawn, I know your heart is in the right place, but right now I just need you to be quiet. You're not helping." He reclined back onto the red couch. "The last 24 hours have been one big blur. I drove back and forth from Pittsburgh and have been up all night thinking."

"Have you told your parents anything," Angela asked, bringing Cory a cup of coffee.

"No. I got home after they went to bed and left before they woke up."

"Did you try Feeny? Maybe he will know how to get Topanga to come home."

"Shawn..." Cory sighed.

"What? Up until now I thought you would do anything to be with Topanga. Now what? You're willing to just let her go?"

"You weren't there, Shawn. You didn't see her, weren't talking to her. Topanga needs this. I hate like hell that she does, but it's true."

Shawn stood up, shaking his head. "I'm going back to sleep. Let me know when you snap out of the shock and become the Cory who never gives up on love again."

"You know," Angela began, jumping when Shawn slammed the bedroom door, "you are taking this very well, I must say."

"I know. That's weird, isn't it?"

"Kind of. Part of me expects you to be freaking out and to be on your way back to Pittsburgh in an instant."

"I freaked out a lot on the drive back home," he laughed. "Believe me." He pulled a ticket out of his back pocket and handed it to Angela.

"Cory! You were going 95 in a 35 zone? You could've hurt someone."

"It was one o'clock in the morning and there was no one else around. That was freak out number three," he smiled sheepishly. "I was going back to Topanga's mom's house."

"I'm almost afraid to ask what the other two freak outs were."

"Number two was yelling at the radio every time a song came on that reminded me of her."

"Every song?"

"Of course. I ended up listening to monks chanting."

"They play that on the radio?"

"Apparently."

"What was your first freak out?"

He looked down at the floor. "I was on my hands and knees, pounding on Mrs. Lawrence's door, begging Topanga to reconsider."

Angela moved beside him and wrapped her arm around his shoulders. "Oh, Cory."

"It was pathetic. I only got up when Mrs. Lawrence's neighbor, some huge, scary, retired cop made me leave or threatened to have me arrested."

"I'm sorry. This sucks."

"Angela, did you know she was going to do this?"

She averted her eyes. "Sort of," she mumbled.

"What," he jumped up. "You knew and you didn't warn me? Or better yet, try to talk her out of it?"

"Cory, I didn't think it was my place to talk her into or out of anything. All I did was try to be a good friend and listen to her. And when we last talked she hadn't heard back from Yale yet."

"Had she already decided to break up with me?"

"I think so."

"Did she ask you if you thought we should break up?"

"Yes."

"What did you say?"

"All I told her was if she was having any second thoughts then you guys definitely shouldn't be getting married this summer. But breaking up completely was her call. She tried to get me to okay it, but I knew it had to be her choice. I wasn't going to order her to either stay with you or break up with you."

"Great," he sighed, sitting back down on the couch.

"Cory, I really think Topanga is being honest when she says that she doesn't know how to be in a relationship at the moment."

"She knew a couple weeks ago."

"She also existed in a little bubble where nothing truly bad had ever happened to her before. Her parents separation has totally upset the center of her world and she can't cope right now. Honestly, I understand how she feels about being unsure of being in a relationship. I doubt myself all the time, especially given my history with Shawn."

"But you're with Shawn. You decided to try to work it out."

"Yeah, but it's not easy. My mother walked out on my dad and I when I was 11 and I haven't seen her since then."

"Wow, I knew she left, but I didn't know you haven't seen her."

"It's not something I brag about. I'll get the occasional letter or present once every couple of years, but that's it. Before she left, my parents fought constantly- at least when my dad wasn't deployed. I'm terrified of ending up in a relationship like theirs', just like Topanga is now afraid of ending up like her parents. Unfortunately, not everyone is like your parents."

"I understand that. What I don't get it why what went wrong in her parents' relationship has to end ours."

"I don't know what to say."

Cory patted her knee. "That's okay. I don't think anyone can really help me right now. Only time...I guess. Thanks for listening."

Angela looked at the clock. "I hate to do this to you now, but I have to get ready for work." Mr. Feeny had helped Angela get a summer job at a book store that was run by some friends of his. She had been working there for a couple of weeks.

"Oh, right. How is that going?"

She smiled. "It's fantastic. I love it. I'm surrounded by books. I'm in heaven. And they said if things go well over the summer, they'll keep me on part time during the school year and maybe even let me write up some of the store's book reviews for their web-site."

"That's great," he said, genuinely happy for her.

"Of course, if I'm late, all this talk is for nothing," she said, hurrying up the stairs. "Shawn's probably going to be in bed until noon since he doesn't work until later this afternoon, but Eric's gone until dinner if you want to crash in his bed."

"Thanks."

Angela rushed around to get ready, not bothering to be quiet. She knew Shawn was still awake even though his eyes were closed.

"You know, Cory really needs a friend right now, not someone who challenges everything he says."

"I am trying to be his friend," Shawn said, sitting up. "Getting him back together with Topanga- his soul mate- is the very best thing I could do for him. I'm just trying to talk some sense into the guy. You're the one not being a friend."

"Shawn..."

"No. He and Topanga are meant to be together," he insisted.

"Why are you taking this harder than Cory at the moment?"

"I don't know," he muttered, running his hands through his hair. "Them not being together is just wrong."

"I think you know why it bothers you." She sat on the bed beside him. "Talk to me, Shawn."

"I haven't had a lot of constants in my life, but Cory and Topanga were one of them." He took Angela's hand. "I thought I could always count on them being together, you know? The sky is blue, the grass is green, Mr. Feeny will always be my teacher, and Cory and Topanga will be together forever."

"Shawn, baby, I know you have a hard time when things change, but...,"

"I think you're mixing me up with Cory. He's the one who cannot handle change. I've been dealing with change all my life. I never knew what was going to happen one day to the next, so I had to get pretty good at dealing with change."

"So long as the change doesn't include your constants," she asked sympathetically. Angela quickly glanced at her watch, inwardly cringing. She really did need to leave for work. Why did all important conversations have to start at inopportune times? "I really hate to leave like this, but I have to be at work in twenty minutes. Can we finish talking tonight? I'll stay awake and wait for you to come home." He nodded. "Great," she smiled, kissing him. "I love you."

"You mean that?"

"Of course." Angela tried to walk away to finish getting ready, but Shawn wouldn't let go of her hand. "Shawn, I need to go." She finally freed herself and walked over to the dresser.

"Will you promise me something?"

The seriousness in his eyes left her feeling unsettled. "What?"

"Promise me we won't end up like Cory and Topanga."

She paused, unsure of how to answer. "I promise we won't let the actions of others dictate the future our relationship."

"That's not exactly the answer I was looking for," he frowned.

"Well, I'm sorry, that's all I can give you right now."

"But,..."

"Shawn," she began, exasperated, "seriously, we'll talk tonight. I have to go to work. Me losing my job would not be very good for our relationship because I would not be happy." She gave him a quick kiss and grabbed her keys. "I love you and I'll see you tonight."


End file.
